Apparatus for chasing rings



July 1, 1958 Filed Ma rch 19, 1956 13. w. SAGER ET AL APPARATUS FOR CHASING RINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS': BERTRAMW SAGE/ MASON M. SAGE/P ATT'Y July 1, 1958 Filed March 19, 1956 B. W. SAGER ETAL APPARATUS FOR CHASING RINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

BERTRA/l l W SAGER MASO/V M. SAGE/P ATT'Y July 1, 1958 '5. w. SAGER ETAL 0,

APPARATUS FOR CHASING RINGS Filed March 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F T I T 128 99 I86 loo //0 108 A94 11v EX 148 INVENTORS: BERT/WWI W SAGER MASON /l SAGE/P M. 40W

ATT'Y APPARATUS FOR CHASINGRINGS Bertram W. Sager, Highland Park, and Mason M.Sager,

Chicago, Ill.,"assignrs to Paramount Wedding Ring Co. Inc.,- Chicago,lll., a corporation of-Illinois Application March 19,1956, Serial'No.-572;240

- 9 Claims. (Cl. 41- 1) This-invention relates flll general to .the methodofyand apparatus for indexing, chasing, and otherwise ornamenting circular-articles :such asifinger. rings, and is. more particularly designated as'an automatic apparatus; pneumatically operated for; accomplishing the. desired results. I-Ieretofore it has beenthe practice in decorating. rings to'do the work entirely by hand. This not only :is tedious different ring decorations and to..have the decorations ap- 1 pear uniform throughoutthe. entire surface. *Suchmanual labor is also expensive because it takes thetime of. a

highly paid artisan to do the work.

The present invention is designedand intended to pro- "vide automatic meansfor controlling theornamenting stroke. or indentation, the feeding of successive objects to be decorated, and .the number of operationsfor'veach ring.

A further object of the invention. is toprovidezameans for separately controlling thehammer. pressure,ithe,ring advance and the forward and rearward. movement of a support which moves a ring under the hammer.

A further object of the. invention .is to provideatiming means for varying the application of pressure. tov the ham- 'mer, .ring advance and mandrel moving operations.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide means for varying the number of operations of the hammer for'diiferent ring sizes.

Stilla further object of theinvention. is to provide a multiple armed hammer in whichvthe.diiferentarms maybe provided with difierent implements tor -producing ditterent chasing effects upon aring blank at difierent locations thereon or at the same locationforvarying the decorative results on the ring blank inaccordance'with the timed movement of the'difiierent hammers.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be more apparent from'the. accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. l is aperspective view. of anapparatustorcarrying outthe method of chasing ringsin accordance-with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view 0i a portion oftheapparatus shown in' Fig. 1 substituting a multiple armedhammer support for'thesingle armed support as shown in' Fig. 1.

i Fig. 3' is a perspective'view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 relating to the 'ring' feedi mandrel engaging and hammer operations.

. Fig. 4 is. a block diagram of the operating parts and their: connections as shown in Fig. 1.

; Fig. 5 is azdia'grammatic :viewlfofa multi-arm hammer 1 device in accordance with Fig. 2 which may be used in United States Patent '0."

2,849,943 Patented July 1, 1%58 ICE -,:place 'of.the. singlearmed hammer construction as shown ..in:Fig. l; and

Fig. 6. illustrates a ring blank. with a number of different chasings which may be applied thereto in regular succes- -;sion to complete av ring.

.11: is desirable to supplement the artistic. manual operationsupon rings 'andsimilar articles with an'accurate The automatic apparatus for performing those. purely mechanical chasing operations which can be done "more ac- ,curately-and quickly by pneumatic apparatus of this kind.

,Referring-.now.more particularly to the drawings, a

a pivot 14 between projections 16 supported by a base plate 18. The outer end of the rod 12 when turned downwardlyabout its pivot is moved just short of the path of the. two upper and lower slide partsiZ-t) and 22 which have notches24 and 26 respectively for engaging the ring vblank: from the end of the rod 12'which terminates just shortofthe path of the slides,-and the end ring is pressed .t'rorn the end of the rod against .a fixed plate 21 at the opposite side of the slide barsiztl and 22 by meansof ta. spring.23..on the rod-12 extendingbetweenthe mount- .ing:projections..16 and the rings mounted. on the rod tending to pressthem from the outer end of the rod. The

.. .inner.adjacentends-ZS and .30 of these slideparts are "beveled. so.that.they will embrace and slide' over the outer- .most ring more easilyto lodge it infthe notches 24 and I 26. .;A.pneurnatic. piston and cylinder device 32 engages .the. rear ends of the upper-and lower slide parts and22 and advances thering for thenext operation.

In order to hold a ring. yieldinglybetween the slide parts .20 and 22,. a coilspringfid is secured to the uppersend of a pin' 36 which extendsfreely through the upperv slide part,2tl and is; secured to the lower, slide -part 22' with the. lower end of the. spring bearing on the top of the upper 'slidepart and the upper endsecured to the upper .end of the pin 35, thereby tending to. press the; slide parts I yieldingly together.

In'front of the ring gripping. slideparts is abearing '38 through which a tapered mandrelAtl is: moved back andforth by a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 42. To pick up a ring advanced by the slide parts 20 and 44for. supporting the mandrel and below a hammer 46 carried by a hammer head 47 and advanced by a pneumatic piston and cylinder device 43. and retracted by a .spring 49. The cylinder device isretracted upwardly byi'a spring 48.

Thecylinder device is supported in an upright position byalclamping arm-50 attached to an upright fixed support 52 attached to the supporting base plate 18, and the hammer. head 47 is supported by anarm 51 also I secured to thefixed support. 52 and below the cylinder device 43.

In the anvil head 44 is a split supporting collar 55, the parts of which are pressed against. ,themandrel 40 mer 46 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. At the outer of the block 59 and tending to move the block on its. guideway until a perforation in the block through which mandrel extends tightly engages the end of themandrel. Thus the mandrel is inserted through the anvil head 44 and into the block 59 until it makes a firm connection therewith and then the block 59 is moved back with the anvil on its guideways against the spring 61. This always insures that the outer end of the mandrel is firmly supported no matter what size of ring is carried by the mandrel.

In the bearing 33 is another split collar 55 closely engaging the mandrel and adapted to engage a finished ring blank as it is carried rearwardly by the mandrel 40 and disengaging the ring blank therefrom as the mandrel is withdrawn.

A blow is imparted to a ring blank A on the mandrel 40 by the hammer 46. The hammer is retracted by its spring 49 and the pneumatic device 43 is retracted by its spring 48. The mandrel is turned a portion of a rotation by a motor 43 to bring the next portion of the ring into may be connected for operation with the mandrel depending upon the size of the ring and the number of tool engagements desired on the surface thereof.

When the mandrel is rotated a complete turn, it is stopped by the operation of a timing device 62 and is withdrawn by its pneumatic device 42 from engagement with the anvil head, and as the mandrel passes through its bearing 38, the ring carried thereby will either engage a wiper 64 between the anvil head 44 and the hearing 38 or it will engage the split collar 55 which disengages the ring from the mandrel and drops it into a tray or other receiver (not shown).

The method of operation is thus briefly described; a ring blank or a plurality of such blanks to be chased are mounted upon the feeding rod 12 which has a spring for discharging ring blanks into the path of a slide having upper and lower slide parts 20 and 22 for engaging a ring and moving it at right angles to the holding rod 12 into the pathof the mandrel 40. The mandrel I picks up each ring blank and carries it into a fixed position below a hammer which is operated automatically to engage the outer surface of the ring blank with a tool; the mandrel is supported for any ring position and in different locations for rings of different sizes and is rotated step by step to bring the entire surface of the ring into engagement. After, the ring has been completely decorated, the tool operations are stopped and the mandrel is withdrawn with the ring discharging the completed ring as it is withdrawn, positioning the mandrel for repeating this operation.

Suitable parts are provided for carrying out the various operations by electrical and pneumatic means and in connection with a timer, the relative location of the parts being shown in Fig. l, and the connection and operation of the parts being further shown in the block diagram of Fig. 4.

In the block diagrams of Figs. 4 and 5, additional designating characters are included for convenience and clearness: M indicating motors, MS micro-switches, S Solenoids, R relays and CL a clutch.

The mandrel 40, its operating motor 41 and the timing or indexing rings 54, 56, 58 and 60 are preferably mount- 7 ed upon a plate 70 slidable in guideways. 72 m un ed n 4 the base plate 18 and moved back and forth by a piston rod 74 extending from the cylinder device 42, the outer end of the piston being secured to a projection 76 at the end of the plate 70 so that the cylinder device 42 receives pressure at one end and is pressed by a spring in the other direction, the piston rod and the plate 70 are moved accordingly.

At the rear end of the plate 70 is a micro-switch M-l which is engaged and operated by the plate at the rear end of its travel. Near this end of the plate is a projection 78 for operating a micro-switch M-2, in the forward direction only of movement of the plate; and near the other end of the guideway 72 is a micro-switch M-3 operated by a projection 80 on the plate 70 after a ring is picked up by the mandrel 40.

A micro-switch M-4 is mounted on the bearing 38 in the path of a movable head 82 of the piston and cylinder device 72 so that the arm of the switch is engaged when the ring slide parts 20 and 22 have moved a ring in a position to be picked up by the mandrel 40. For each pneumatic piston and cylinder device there is an electric controlling valve which may be manually set with an indicating gage therefor which are represented as receiving fluid under pressure from a supply press main 84.

Each of the pneumatic piston and cylinder devices 32, 42 and 43 is represented as having a spring return for one direction of movement of the piston therein, either within the cylinder or externally thereof. There are also fluid pressure pipes 86, 88 and 90 for connecting each of the respective piston cylinder devices through manually adjustable valves 92, 94 and 96, each of which has a gage 98, or 102 for indicating the pressure admitted through that pipe connection. In addition, a manual control valve 104 connected to a pressure supply pipe 106, controls the fluid pressure admitted to the piston and cylinder device 42 which is indicated by a gage 108.

The piston cylinder device 42 for operating the mandrel 40 and its slide plate 70 has a back pressure or exhaust relief pipe which together with the pressure supply pipe 88 are connected through a common valve 112 controlled by an electric valve 114 which causes the valve to admit pressure through the supply pipe 88 and exhaust from the cylinder 42 through the pipe 110.

a A separate pipe 116 connects the fluid pressure from the valve 104 to one end of the electric valve 114.

An'electric valve 118 controls the supply of fluid pressure through the pipe 88 to the ring advancing cylinder device 32, which is returned by spring pressure when the fluid pressure is cut off.

Valves 92 and 96 are connected to the pressure supply pipe by a connector pipe 120 and connecting the valve 96 with the supply pipe 90 for the hammer, piston and cylinder device 42, are two electric valves 122 and 124, the latter connected by a bypass 126 to insure an adequate supply of fluid under pressure through the pipe 90 connected between these valves. An exhaust pressure line 128 is also connected to the pipe 90 which is controlled by an electric valve 130 for insuring relief of pressure upon the hammer piston and cylinder device 43 in timed relation to the pressure strokes thereof.

The timing device 62 comprises a motor 132 which rotates a shaft 134 carrying cams 136, 138 and 140, the first of which actuates a contact arm 142 to a homing and holding relay 144 for the motor 132. The next cam 138 operates a contact arm 146 for a relay 148 for controlling the drop hammer movement; and the contact arm 150 is operated by the cam 140 for controlling a relay 152 relating to the indexing operation.

The motor 132 is connected to a suitable source of current supply by a switch 154 and conductors 155 and the relays 144, 148 and 152 may also receive a suitable source of current at the same time. This motor 132 oper- 9;] ED ates continuously as 'long as the apparatus is in operation and the cams and relays control the timed operation of the parts to which they relate.

The mandrel rotating motor 41 has conductors '156 extending to a switch 158 for connecting it with a suitable source of supply with a looped portion 160 of the wires connecting them to permit a sliding movement of the plate 79. This motor has a shaft 162 for connecting it to the mandrel upon which indexing rings 54, 56, '8 and'60 are adjustably mounted and the shaft 162 is connected to the motor through a clutch 164 which allows the motor 41 to run continuously and to stop at any one ofthe positions indicated by pins 166 projecting from theindexing rings.

Each indexing ring has a solenoid 168 for projecting an arm 170 into the path of the pins 16:: of its ring, the number of pins on the ring determining the number of stops of the mandrel and consequently .the number of points that may be engaged by the hammer.

Each solenoid for the successive rings is actuated by one of the switches P, Q, R or S so that the closing of-a selected switch will project the arm 170 into the path of its pins. One of the indexing rings has a long pin 172 which projects into the path of a microrswitch M5 suitably secured in position to engage the long pin and operative to stop the rotation of the mandrel 40 when a certain movement or a rotation is completed. This microeswitch 5 is connected by a conductor 174 to relay 148 which relates to the drop hammer cam 13,8 and by aconductor 176 to the micro-switch M44 which relates to the operation of the ring advance cylinder 32 and thence by conductor 178 to the electric valve 114 which controls the supply pressure through valve 112 to cylinder .device 42. Another conductor 18% extends from the switch 114 back to the drop hammer relay 148. The drop hammer [r l y i also connected by a conductor 182 with microswitch M -3 and thence through conductors 184, 186 and 180 to the drop hammer electric valves 122, 1 24 and 130.

The solenoids for the switches P, Q, R and S are connected by conductors 188 with relay 152 for controlling the operation of the solenoids by the operation of the cam 148. In operation, the switches for the motors 132 and 41 may be turned on as both of these motors are intended to run continuously as long as the apparatus is in operation. The other connections are made through the relays in a Well known manner, and in general, the timer'contacts are closed when the contact arms are engaged in the notches of the cams. The cam 136 of the timer is a homer cam which is driven by the motor 132 to the same relative terminal position before starting each new cycle of operation.

Assuming that the plate 70 is in its rearmost position, and the ring holder rod with ring blanks thereon is rotated downwardly to bring the outermost ring into the path of the slide parts 2% and 22, the starting operation with the motors running causes a circuit to be established from relay 144 through micro-switches M.-1, M-2 and electric valve 118 by means of conductors 190 and 192. The valve 92 which admits fluid under pressure to pipe 86 for operating a cylinder device 32 which then picks up a ring blank and advances it into the path of the ring mandrel 40.

This movement of the ring feeding cylinder device 32 closes the micro-switch M5 which completes a circuit properly timed to electric valve 114 through conductors 174, 17s and 180 back to relay 148 which admits fluid under pressure through pipe 88 to the mandrel moving device 42. This causes a forward movement of the slide plate 70 carrying mandrel 40 and as the micro-switch M-Z is engaged, the circuit is broken to the electric valve 118 which allows the ring feeding device 32 to be withdrawn by its inner spring to pick up another ring blank. At this time, however, the outer end of the mandrel is engaged in and picks up the ring blank and advances it to the anvil position under the hammer.

The engagement of micro-switch M-3 by the projection causes a circuit to be established from relay 148 through conductors 182, 184:, 186 and 180 to the electric valves 122 and 124 which admit fluid under pressure through the pipe to the hammer operating pressure device 43.

The hammer is operated in quickly repeated strokes a number of times depending upon the number of pins 166 upon the particular indexing ring which has been chosen for the ring blank and the hammering operation is continued throughout the whole periphery of the ring due to the operation of the cams 138 and 140 in connection with their relays and the switch circuit of the particular indexing ring which has been chosen. The mandrel is rotated a portion of a complete circle by the motor 41 and the clutch 1&4 depending upon which engagement arm 17 i) is advanced into the path of the pins 166 of the indexing ring. The operation of the cam 140 will send an impulse into one of the solenoids 168 which will Withdraw the arm 170 to pass one of the pins but to engage the next one and the operating hammer device 43 will be given an impulse by its electric valves 122 and 124 for each stroke. The quick return of the device 43 by its return spring is insured by the electric exhaust valve 130 which is timed for such operation.

When the entire surface of a ring has been covered, the long pin 172 engages the micro-switch M-S which opens the circuit from the relay 148 through electric valve 114 for the mandrel operating device .2 returning the mounting slide plate 70 by the return spring of this device activating all relays with the slide in engage ment with micro-relay M-1 for repeating the operation.

To change the number of ring chasings upon any blank,

it is necessary only to open the closed switch P and to close one of the other switches as R. The location of the micro-switch 'M-Ba may be varied on one of the guide rails 72 by means of an attached clamping device 194 which may include a thumb screw or any other conveniently operated attaching means.

As above described, a ring blank will be similarly decorated or chased throughout the entire surface, but additional decorations may be placed thereon by reengaging the partly decorated ring blanks and also a multiple armed chasing device is represented in Fig. 5 in which a number of tool holders 2518 are mounted on separate arms 201 extending from a common hub 202 which may be rotatable upon a fixed support 52 as shown in Fig. 1. This hub has a ratchet wheel 283 secured thereto with a reciprocating pawl 204 for engaging it, the pawl being moved in one direction bya piston and cylinder device 205 and return by an internal spring thereof. The device 205 receives fluid under pressure from a pipe 266, controlled by an electric valve 2 17 for receiving fluid under pressure from a supply pipe 128 as shown in Fig. 4.

One object of this construction is to provide a ring blank A as shown in Fig. 6 with a number of .difierent decorations as D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 and D6 around the periphery thereof, either in regular succession or mixed .or interposed or mingled with each other. To accomplish this result, the ring feeding and mandrel operating parts may be the same as shown in Fig. 4, but the indexing rings may be somewhat different. A separate indexing ring R4, R-2, R-3, R4, R-5 and R-d may be provided for each of the separate tools carried by each of the arms. These indexing rings each have a number of short pins 208 and a long pin 2%9. Each indexing ring has a separate solenoid 210 for advancing its arm 211 in contact position to engage the short pins 208 and a micro-switch 212 having an operating arm which extends into the path of its long pin 209.

With this construction, the diilerent tools carried by the holders 2% may be brought automatically into operation by cams, relays and operating circuits similar to the cams 138 and 140, the relays 148 and 152 and conductor connections 174, 188 and 176 heretofore referred to.

In operation, the ring will be advanced by the mandrel 40 as previously explained to the anvil operating position and instead of the continuous operation of a single tool, the multiple armed tool holder will be rotated successively, bringing the different tools in operation in accordance with the settings of the indexing rings as previously described.

A sample operation both for a single tool and for multiple tools is thus described in detail, and since the construction and operation of the pneumatic devices,the control valves, both manual and electrical, the indicators therefor, the timing switches, and the solenoids, as well as many of the other individual parts are well known in construction and operation, it is unnecessary to describe them in detail.

The multiple armed tool holder makes it possible to vary the decoration of a ring, and by changing the tools or changing the succession in which they are operated, a great many new designs and combinations may be automatically applied to ring blanks by this method of' operation. Successive rings may be differently decorated by simply halting the operation after one ring is complete and changing the positions of the indexing rings to produce different tool operations or results in different successions.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, one piston and cylinder 43 will be used for hitting all of the different tools carried by the tool heads 200. Although six different tool heads are shown, a greater or less number of such heads may be used.

It is also noted that different pressures may be applied to the piston and cylinder devices and that these pressures as applied may be changed by manual operation of the valves relating thereto. Although a combination of electric and air operated devices are shown and described, it is obvious that the operating parts may be all air or all electric and an electric hammer may also be used. Air valves may be substituted for the microswitches and for the other electric valve devices.

While an apparatus both single and multiple armed for carrying out this method of ring chasing has been described in some detail, it should be regarded by way of illustration and example rather than as a restriction or limitation thereof, as many changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for chasing rings, the combination with a rod for mounting rings to be chased, of aslide movable transversely to the end of the rod for picking rings in succession from the end of the rod and moving them therefrom, a graduated mandrel movable into the path .of the individual rings and disengaging the rings therefrom, a hammer movable to engage ring blanks on the mandrel, means for rotating the mandrel for successive strokes of the hammer, and means withdrawing the mandrel from the hammer and discharging the chased rings.

2. A ring chasing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, in which the ring feeding rod is mounted to rotate about a pivot at the time thereof and a coil spring is mounted on the rod adjacent the pivot tending to press the rings from the other end thereof.

3. In an apparatus according to claim 1, a plate at the end of the ring blank holding rod for engaging the outermost ring, and the plate spaced from the end of the rod, and a slide member with spring pressed slide parts for engaging opposite sides of the outermost ring and moving into the path of the mandrel.

4. In an apparatus in accordance with claim 3, a pneumatic operating device for the sliding parts, and timing means for controlling the movement of the slide into and out of the path of the mandrel.

5. In an apparatus in accordance with claim 1, the mandrel having a bearing through which it is movable to pick up one of the ring blanks, and the bearing having a wiper for engaging the ring blank when it is chased and discharging it from the mandrel as it it withdrawn through the bearing.

6. In a ring chasing apparatus in accordance with claim 5, a pneumatic operating device for positively advancing and withdrawing the mandrel from the chasing position, and timing means for partly rotating the mandrel a predetermined number of times for each complete rotation.

7. In a ring chasing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, the reciprocating hammer having a pneumatic operating device, and means for varying the force of each blow directed by the hammer.

8. In a ring chasing apparatus in accordance with claim I, a tool holder having a plurality of arms movable under the hammer to impart different designs to a ring blank as the position of the arms is changed to vary the decoration applied to a ring.

9. In a ring chasing apparatus in accordance with claim 8, a rotatable multiple armed tool holder movable under the hammer and means for rotating the tool holder to bring different tools into operation for successive strokes of the hammer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 197,787 Mix Dec. 4, 1877 287,139 Horton May 22, 1883 615,026 Hulbert Nov. 29, 1898 1,471,032 Johnson Oct. 16, 1923 1,792,829 Goin Feb. 17, 1931 1,971,700 August et al Aug. 28, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 660,307 Germany May 23, 1938 OTHER REFERENCES Useful Arts and Handicrafts, by Leland and Ward, published by Dawbarn & Ward Ltd., London; Chasing Metals, pages 69-72 (page 70, Matting the Ground). 

